Embassies in Ottawa offer ‘around the clock’ support in the new work-from-home reality

Envoys comment on the ‘uncharted territory’ brought forward by the ‘dreadful ordeal’ COVID-19 brings, and urge co-operation in the global response.

Ottawa-based heads of mission say responding to the novel coronavirus outbreak has lead to ‘around the clock’ efforts, including from left, Japan’s Yasuhisa Kawamura, Ecuador’s Diego Stacey, Jamaica’s Janice Miller, and Germany’s Sabine Sparwasser.
The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia, Andrew Meade

Embassies in Ottawa are shutting their doors, restricting hours, staffing 24-7 emergency lines, and co-ordinating flights for those stranded in Canada in what diplomats describe as “around-the-clock” support dealing with the demands of “unusual and unprecedented” times brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Unless Trudeau plans to be out on these streets, fighting against police brutality or in cabinet drafting legislation to curb police powers, his, and all the other white voices of his ilk, have no merit here.

'I do agree that things need to be implemented as quickly as possible. We could've done this a lot sooner. The good news is that we’re doing it now and announcing it today,' says Transport Minister Marc Garneau.